High Notes: The Best Live Music in Portland This Week (Sept 1-6)

Heavens, was that a raindrop? Well, it looks like summer is over, everyone inside before dampness sets in! Two local groups—Months and Jenny Don’t and the Spurs—are celebrating the release of debut records this week, and since we’re going to be trapped indoors by this awful weather, we might as well wait it out in the comfort of a neighborhood club. We’re sure it will pass eventually.

Psychedelic Furs, The Church
Sept 2 @ 9pm

It’s an odd bill, since opening band the Church is far more psychedelic than the headliners, a somewhat skronky new wave outfit from England who first came to prominence in the salad days of MTV. Gloomy heartthrob Richard Butler guided the Furs through a string of hits, most notably “Pretty in Pink,” a song forever associated with the film by John Hughes, and its star, the beguiling Molly Ringwald. Feed your ‘I Love the ’80s’ obsession with bygone beauties like “Love My Way” and “Here Come Cowboys.” No one’s ever died from a healthy dose of nostalgia.
$35. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St. crystalballroompdx.com

Loch Lomond
Sept 2 @ 9pm

Whether he’s on the solo tip, or acting as choirmaster for a multi-instrumental menagerie, Loch Lomond’s Ritchie Young is like an overcast, Northwest Brian Wilson, a meticulous arranger with a head full of songs express-delivered from heaven, or thereabouts. Loch Lomond’s two most recent albums, ‘Little Me Will Start a Storm’ (2011), and ‘Dresses’ (2013), are jaw-droppingly exquisite in their orchestral sophistication and divinely ascendant melodies. Since it’s been two years since the last release, expect fresh symphonic adventures from Young and company.
$10. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. mississippistudios.com

Jenny Don’t and the Spurs Record Release
Sept 4 @ 9pm

This is the country version; practically the same combination of musicians also plays Wipers-inspired punk around town under the shorter name, Don’t. In any case, singer Jenny Don’t and a supporting cast that includes Wipers/Napalm Beach drummer Sam Henry and Kelly Halliburton (Pierced Arrows) on bass, exude determination and bulletproof commitment to twangy ghost-rider anthems like “Trouble With the Law” and “The Fire.” If you’re a true believer in Portland music, you will take this opportunity to buy two or three copies of the Spurs’ new self-titled album. Makes a great Christmas gift.
$5. Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave. bunksandwiches.com

Lee “Scratch” Perry
Sept 5 @ 9pm

The 77-year-old dub deity (who now resides in Switzerland) has done everything and then some, influencing waves of popular performers from the Clash to the Beastie Boys, as well as collaborating with Jamaican icons such as Bob Marley, King Tubby, Prince Jammy, and Augustus Pablo. He’s released about a zillion albums under an assortment of identities, and is known to be a very volatile character, having once set fire to his own recording studio. “I am a madman,” he confesses in the song of the same name. Mad? Probably, but it hasn’t gotten in the way of an insanely prolific career.
$20. Star Theater, 13 NW Sixth Ave. startheaterportland.com

Months Record Release
Sept 5 @ 8pm

You know the story. What started out as solo recordings from Point Juncture, WA guitarist Wilson Vediner, evolved into a full-tilt band with a debut album that demands to be heard. After a few spins through “Annihilation” and “Cannibal,” the influence of post-punk pioneers Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. is readily apparent, but Vediner and friends seem to have trimmed the grinding excesses of those bands into a more streamlined and consistent fury.
$6. The Know, 2026 NE Alberta St. theknowpdx.com

John Chandler has been writing about rock and/or roll for 25 years with The Rocket, Portland Tribune, Portland Monthly, Magnet, Dagger, No Depression, and Puncture. He also writes about beer, booze, and bars for Portland's BarFly website and plays in a couple goofy bands when the mood strikes him. He can most often be found at the wheel of horrificflicks.com, a review website dedicated to horror movies.

Related Slideshow: MusicfestNW: Top Ten Acts of 2015

Music fans who exclusively listen to commercial synth-pop and quasi-intellectual indie singer-songwriters will have no problem filling their schedules throughout the weekend. MFNW has done a thorough job of making sure that the “majority” population of Portland will have plenty to see on the waterfront from August 21-23. For those of you seeking something a little more specific, or for those of you who want to get the most bang for their buck by purchasing the single-day, 60 dollar pass, here’s a comprehensive survival guide for your eardrums, in no particular order.

Beirut

Few bands on the MFNW bill offer a sound as rich as Beirut. Drawing much of their influence from Balkan folk as well as the broader “indie” realm, the band is led by founding member Zach Condon and takes elements from all around the globe to create their unique audio motif. Cascading between methodic soulfulness and danceable baroque rhythms, they bring a lively sort of soul to MFNW that is endearingly sweet and emotionally enriching, the band is set to release their newest project, No No No in September and they will be performing at 8:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 22nd.

Milo Greene

Milo Greene describes their sound as Cinematic-Pop. When the band was formed, the goal was to create music that they could, “potentially see being placed in movies and TV.” While some might interpret this as a soulless, capitalistic venture devoid of the essence that makes music worth creating, the band has managed to create their own brand of “cinth-pop” making them stand out in the genre. Their songs have a mildly filmic quality, relying mostly on catchy vocals and upbeat rhythms to get stuck in your head. We’ll see if their cinematic focus translates to an engaging live performance... they are set to play at 6:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 21st.

Foster The People

With “Pumped Up Kicks,” the band’s 2011 breakout hit, Foster The People became poster boys for commercial, electro-pop music. The leader of the trio, Mark Foster, was once quoted as saying, in regards to the early days of his career in Los Angeles, “I wasn't shy about taking my guitar out at a party. I wanted to be the center of attention." And that’s exactly what the band’s music sounds like. Foster spent a few years as a commercial jingle-writer, a fact that is evident from the band’s infectiously catchy sound. What they lack in depth, they more make up for with enthusiastic zeal and conventional good looks. So if you’re into pretty young men and seeing bands that are well known and popular, well, this’ll fill that particular void in your life... catch them at 8:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 21st.

Twin Shadow

George Lewis Jr., AKA Twin Shadow, is an artist who has been known for revisiting 80’s new wave music while infusing it with sophisticated R&B sensibilities and an intimate array of ambient synthesizers and punching drum sections. However, with his 2015 release, Eclipse, much of that has been stripped away to provide a simpler, more accessible record. With his first major-label project, Twin Shadow has created a style that lives less in the ethers, and more on the ground level. Eclipse is rawer, funkier, and more-booty shaking than his previous work, giving audiences a chance to get out of their heads and into their feet. See Twin Shadow at 6:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 22nd.

Danny Brown

In a city which has become notorious for neglecting and even vilifying all things rap-related, it can be something of a surprise to see an artist like Danny Brown at an event that otherwise caters to the predominately white & affluent population of the metropolitan area. If it is a surprise, though, it is a pleasant one. Brown is unapologetically individual, with a voice and delivery that might mistakenly be labeled as goofy. He is at his best when engaging in sincere storytelling, such as with the intimately personal “25 Bucks” (Featuring Purity Ring) or the 2012 release, “Grown Up.” On other tracks, Brown delivers high-energy audaciousness with addictive hooks and fierce verbal delivery. Brown will be on the Morrison Stage at 6:30 PM on August 23rd.

Battles

Battles will shake your bowels. Every song they create has a life of its own, driven by a shared heartbeat of high-energy enthusiasm and sonic bravery. They seem to have more fun playing their music than doing anything else, and that is exactly what festivalgoers want to see. What pubescent laptop-jockeys pretend to do at EDM festivals across the country, Battles does with zero inhibition and 100 percent authenticity. They mix heavy electronics and brutal, pulsating organic rhythms into an alchemical auditory concoction that can be mesmerizing and uplifting. When they are playing, get close to the stage, and stay there. Get hypnotized and let your bowels shake at the Hawthorne Stage at 5:30 PM on August 22nd.

Lady Lamb

There’s no other way to say it; Aly Spaltro is an immutable badass. Supported by an impeccable band with whom she seems to share a unique level of connectedness, the singer-songwriter who goes by the moniker of Lady Lamb displays and enigmatic aesthetic, rich with diverse emotional substance and sprinkled around a landscape of passionately personal and occasionally esoteric lyrical content. She has a voice that can crawl inside of you and force your innards to resonate at superhuman frequencies, and her stage presence is capable of inducing audiences into a state of frenzied, messianic hubris. She will make you believe that there is no creature on earth more powerful than a human woman with an instrument in her hands. She’ll be doing this to you at 4:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 23rd.

Modest Mouse

If you are completely unaware of who Modest Mouse is, you’re probably too young or too old to be reading this. The Alternative/Indie ensemble has been around since 1993 and has since established a standard for all other contemporary Alternative outfits to hold themselves to. They have managed to become one of the most recognizable names in popular music, headlining the biggest festivals in the country and releasing their sixth album, Strangers To Ourselves, earlier this year. Amazingly, they have achieved this success without estranging fans of their early work. Modest Mouse delivers a distinct sound, one that is guided by a driving, forceful intention and laced with bright tones and decisive bass lines. Theirs is music that can make you stomp your feet, move your hips, or simply nod your head. But you will move. They’ll be closing out the fest at 8:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 23rd.

Aesop Rock

This is more of a precursor to the fest than it is part of it, as the show precedes the MFNW kickoff party occurring the next day, but Aesop Rock is too good of an act to not include in this list. The New York Native epitomizes hip-hop intellectualism and a music sensibility that transcends genre-conformity. Known for his work on one of hip-hop’s most distinctive record labels, Definitive Jux, as well as collaborations with Kimya Dawson and his own deliriously complex lyricism, Aesop now resides in Portland and will be performing with Rob Sonic, DJ Abilities, and Illmaculate at Star Theater on Wednesday, August 19th.

Miguel

Part neo-soul, part pop-funk, with traces of high-concept new wave artistry, Miguel is an artist who gives you sensuality wrapped up in a digestible mix of personal confession and contemporary introspection. His latest album, Wildheart, teases at being sexy, while honestly observing modern sexuality and its complications in a world that has become less binary, less normative, and freakier. Along with this observation of sexuality as a function of modern relations, Miguel analyzes the subtler, nuanced aspects of how we interact with one another in the age of technology and social networking. His truthfulness and soulful songwriting will be on display at the Roseland Theater on Friday, August 21st for a sold out show... but who knows, maybe someone you know has two tickets and a crush on you.